Frugal Foodie Mama: Search results for chocolate lover

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Triple Chocolate Tiramisu

Whether you are a chocolate addict or a tiramisu lover, this Triple Chocolate Tiramisu is sure to become your new favorite dessert...

From the chocolate ladyfinger cake to the mocha coffee it is soaked in, to the chocolate mascarpone topping, and then the finishing touch of a cocoa powder dusting and a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, this Triple Chocolate Tiramisu is a chocolate lover's dream dessert. #FWCon

This Triple Chocolate Tiramisu has been in the making for a couple of weeks now. Tiramisu happens to be my absolute favorite dessert. And when I heard about the 2015 Dixie Crystals Chocolate Dessert Recipe Contest for the Food & Wine Conference this July in sunny Orlando, I knew exactly what I wanted to make- a chocoholic's dream of a homemade tiramisu.

I knew that I wanted this dessert to have chocolate in every layer and component, including the espresso soaked ladyfingers. But I was posed with a problem- where could I buy chocolate ladyfingers? Since specialty bakeries are very few and far between around here, I decided to embark on making my own chocolate ladyfingers.

My first attempt at baking my own chocolate ladyfingers ended up being a complete baking fail which I shared over on my Instagram. I ended up with what looked more like small flat chocolate pancakes than ladyfingers, so it was back to the recipe drawing board. Not wanting to deal with that whole piping of the ladyfinger batter mess again, I decided why not make the batter into a sheet cake instead? And folks, that plan worked perfectly. The chocolate ladyfinger cake turned out exactly like I had hoped that it would! :)

From the chocolate ladyfinger cake to the mocha coffee it is soaked in, to the chocolate mascarpone topping, and then the finishing touch of a cocoa powder dusting and a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, this Triple Chocolate Tiramisu is a chocolate lover's dream dessert...

Chocolate Stout Blackberry Brownies

With ooey, gooey chocolate & ribbons of sweet blackberries, these decadent & rich Chocolate Stout Blackberry Brownies are a chocolate lover's dream...

If there is one summertime flavor combo that I feel is overlooked all too often, it is most definitely the combination of juicy blackberries with rich dark chocolate. But let me tell you all this- it is a flavor combo that you need to make happen asap. Like this week if possible. Or even today. I mean, why wait for this deliciousness? ;) And luckily for you all, I have just the recipe to accomplish this- these ooey, gooey Chocolate Stout Blackberry Brownies!

I have taken this incredible combination of flavors just one step further by throwing a good chocolate stout beer into the mix as well. But no worries if you don't happen to be a beer fan. The beer flavor mostly bakes out leaving these decadent brownies with an extra level of richness.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Packed full of chunks of chocolate & crunchy peanuts, this Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Banana Bread is a chocolate & peanut butter lover's dream come true...

This post is sponsored by Walmart, Thyme & Table, and The Women's Blogger Network. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

I know when most people think of their "happy place" they usually think of a beach with a cocktail in hand. Or a secluded cabin in the mountains. And while I could definitely go for either one of those places right about now, my favorite happy place happens to be my kitchen.

It is the one room in my house where I can create. And cook. And bake. And tinker with new recipe creations while also whipping up the tried & true recipes that my family loves and asks for time & time again. The rest of my house can be an absolute chaotic mess, but as long as my kitchen is clean, & tidy, and stocked with all the pretty things then I am able to find my inner calm and breathe.

One way that I am keeping my happy place decked out in trendy, yet functional utensils, gadgets, & cutting boards is with the Thyme & Table kitchen line from my local Walmart. Thyme & Table is the newest line of stylish kitchen products from Core Home. For those of you who have been following along with me for a while now, you all already know of my love for Core Home. Their products have been a staple in my kitchen for the past four years now. :)

Chocolate Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti

These Chocolate Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti are perfect for dunking in a warm cup of coffee on a chilly fall morning...

Okay, friends... so, I had fully planned to share this recipe with you all last Thursday. And then blogger funk set in. Blogger funk as in... I don't feel like writing. I don't feel like doing social media. I don't feel like doing much of anything blog related.

Blogger funk (or burnout as someone like to refer to it) happens to just about every blogger that I know every now and again. I decided that it was best not to force it (because nothing good ever comes from that), and then made the decision that this post would go up on Saturday morning.

I rarely post on the weekends, but I thought who wouldn't want to be looking at these delicious homemade biscotti while sipping on their Saturday morning cup of coffee?

And then Thursday happened... On Thursday, the food blogging community that I am a part of took a huge blow. And I needed a few days to take it all in and recover.

A blogger that I considered a mentor, an inspiration, and a wonderful friend slipped away suddenly leaving us all reeling and in utter shock. There is a good chance that many of you all may already be familiar with Joan of Chocolate, Chocolate, and More and all of her amazing sweet treats & dessert recipes.

I would encourage you all to visit her blog often as the holidays approach and use it over and over again as a dessert resource for all those get-togethers, family gatherings, holiday dinners & parties.

Help us keep her legacy to her three children- her blog- alive and thriving. And be looking for a very special post from me on Wednesday (aka, National Chocolate Day) dedicated to my good friend Joan and everything chocolate.

Honestly, I am not going to talk too much about these Chocolate Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti in today's post. But I do have a feeling that Joan, being the chocolate lover that she was, is approvingly giving me a thumbs up from above because I just totally made it okay for you all to have some chocolate for breakfast this week... ;)

Double Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

Combining deep, rich chocolate with tart dried cherries, these Double Chocolate Cherry Biscotti are the perfect sweet treat for coffee lovers...

Is your sweetheart a coffee lover? Or are you maybe looking for a sweet treat that your co-workers would appreciate being left by the break room coffee maker Valentine's Day morning?

Not that you need anyone to make these Double Chocolate Cherry Biscotti for. ;) You could totally bake up a batch of these and keep them for yourself.

Not a coffee fan? They would be tasty dunked in a mug of hot chocolate or a tall glass of cold milk.

These biscotti have a deep, rich chocolate flavor. And combine that with the tart dried cherries? Perfection, folks.

Chocolate Funfetti Sheet Cake

Chockfull of rainbow sprinkles, this dense and fudgy Chocolate Funfetti Sheet Cake is topped with the most airy & light chocolate whipped frosting. A little slice of happiness on a plate!

I have been contemplating the meaning of happiness lately- the complexities of it, the things that enhance our own personal happiness and the things that seem to hinder or take away from it, and the various ways that we sometimes seem to get in the way of our own happiness.

I mean, when do we know that we are truly happy?

When we stop reaching for the next big thing? The better thing? When we allow ourselves to finally feel some contentment with how things are in the here and now?

But then you have to ask yourself- is that really true happiness? Or is that just settling?

Shouldn't we always be striving to better ourselves? To improve our lives? To love harder? To love ourselves more? To push that extra mile or two? To not give up on the things that we feel are important in our lives just because it may be hard at the moment?

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie Dough Ice Cream

An ice cream favorite gets a perfect for fall flavor makeover in this homemade Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie Dough Ice Cream...

So can we talk about how it is has been in the 70's and 80's here the past few days, and it also happens to be NOVEMBER? Usually by this time of the year, I am donning flannel and jeans with boots on the regular.

But not the past couple of days- I am sporting short sleeves and broke back out the flip-flops (I decided to ignore the fact that I am in desperate need of a manicure. Carpe diem, right? ;) ) I figured these warm, summer-like days were the perfect time to finally share this new homemade ice cream recipe that I have had in the works for well over a year now.

Yes, folks. I have been holding out on you all with this one for 365+ days now. Please forgive me, but I have my reasons. My first round of photographs for this recipe didn't do it justice. I mean, it is crazy how much you can improve your food photography skills in just one short year.

And so I broke down and made this recipe again some time the beginning of last month, photographed it, went to edit said photos, and realized that I hated those too (let's just say there was a lot of orange going on in that round of photos). So, I figured third time had to be the charm! :)

Finally. A round of photos that I couldn't wait to share with you all. And let's just talk about this ice cream for a sec, k? Bite-sized chunks of pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough and mini chocolate chips folded into a creamy homemade vanilla ice cream- pretty much fall ice cream perfection here, folks...

Easy Thin Mint Stuffed Brownies

These Easy Thin Mint Stuffed Brownies are stuffed with your favorite Girl Scout cookies & a double dose of Andes mints. A chocolate & mint lover's dream come true...

If you are in need in a last minute dessert idea for St. Patrick's Day weekend, then you all are in luck! Because I made the most perfect chocolaty mint brownies to share with you all today.

These easy to make brownies were just meant for the ultimate chocolate/mint lover out there (ahem... like my teenage son). Plus, chocolate & mint is always a winning flavor combination for St. Patrick's Day, am I right? ;)

Not only did I stuff each of these fudgy brownies with a whole Thin Mint cookie, but I also tossed in some Andes baking chips just for good measure. In fact, there are Andes baking chips IN the batter & ON top of the baked brownies.

Say what?!? Yeah, I know. Absolute chocolate/mint brownie perfection, folks...

The Ultimate Vanilla Lovers Pudding Pie

Welcome to Pies in July Week, friends! And say hello to the very first pie recipe of the week- my Ultimate Vanilla Lovers Pudding Pie! :)

This pie is delicious, creamy, and comes together very easily and quickly. You can make it in the afternoon and it will be ready to slice into after dinner that evening.

I am not going to lie- I am usually team chocolate.

All. The. Way.

But this pie is layer after layer of vanilla goodness- from the vanilla wafer/graham cracker crust to the white chocolate drizzle on top. Even a die hard chocolate lover like myself can appreciate (and inhale) a good vanilla pie. ;)

The Ultimate Vanilla Lovers Pie

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients (8 slices)

For the crust

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 vanilla wafers crumbs (about 20-25 wafers processed in your food processor or blender)
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp butter, melted

For the pudding filling

One 5.1 oz box of vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
whole vanilla wafers for garnishing

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the graham cracker and vanilla wafer crumbs and the sugar. Pour in the melted butter and mix until well combined.

Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes.

Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Pour the cold milk into a large bowl. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat in the pudding mix and then the vanilla.

Once the crust is cooled completely, pour the pudding filling into it. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 15 second intervals until the chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Once melted, take the pie out of the fridge and drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top of the pie. Press in whole vanilla wafers along the outside edge of the pie.

Refrigerate for at least one more hour.

Slice and serve with whipped topping, if desired.

So, how about you? Are you Team Chocolate or Team Vanilla? Or can you appreciate both equally? ;)

Don't forget to get yourself entered to win all the cute pie goodieness below in the Pies in July Giveaway!

You could win...

A Living Loretta Apron in Cutie Pie design

A copy of A Year of Pies by Ashley English

9" Personalized Glass Pie Plate from Hummingbird's View

~All Over a $60 Value!~

*This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided. No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. This is a giveaway sponsored as a group buy, which means the bloggers pooled their money together to purchase these products for you. Amazon & etsy are not sponsors of this giveaway. The prizes in this package will be ordered by Carrie of Frugal Foodie Mama and sent directly from Amazon & Hummingbird's View to the winner. Entries must come from your MAIN social media accounts, not accounts that have been set up separately just for entering giveaways. Entries from these types of accounts will be disqualified. Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account. Bloggers in this group giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions. Good luck, all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Planning a Getaway to Grapevine, Texas

Experience luxury, delicious Texan cuisine, and a brief step back in time in the historic & charming town of Grapevine in North Texas...

All accommodations, meals, & experiences were provided courtesy of Travel Media Showcase & its sponsors. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

Last month I had the pleasure of attending Travel Media Showcase for the first time in the lovely city of Grapevine, Texas, which is located halfway between Dallas & Forth Worth. While I spent a good part of my first visit to the state of Texas at the actual showcase events, I did get a little time to explore the resort we were staying at and to experience the charms & tastes of Grapevine.

But before I get into the details of my Grapevine Getaway, let me tell you all a little bit about Travel Media Showcase (TMS). The showcase (which is in its 16th year) is an opportunity for travel writers, journalists, & bloggers to network and learn from each other as well meet and interact with representatives from convention & visitors' bureaus (CVB's) from across the country.

Not only are those in travel media given the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with the CVB's of their choice, but the showcase provides plenty of opportunities for writers and CVB reps to interact and get to know each other on a more personal level whether that be over a cocktail or as part of a local tour of the area. The connections that you can make at the Travel Media Showcase with other travel writers as well as with those representing the visitors' bureaus are simply invaluable. So much better than a back & forth over email, don't you think? ;)

Though my visit to Grapevine was far too brief, I did come away with a few travel nuggets to share with you all about the area...

Peanut Butter Oreo Cake Mix Cookies

These easy to make peanut butter cookies start with a cake mix and are loaded with chunks of chopped Oreos...

So, we are on like what? Day #1,525,123 of the stay at home/quarantine life now? And yes, like everyone else I am starting to feel a little restless and antsy & long for some of the normalcy from my life pre-virus...

For one, I miss my gym workouts something fierce, you all. Specifically, cardio machines like my beloved elliptical and stair climber.

Yeah, I know I could go out and run, but A. I kind of hate running and B. Mother Nature hasn't really been cooperating weather-wise. I mean, one day it is sunny and in the 60's and the very next day it is flipping snow here. Or it is raining. Or just plain cold.

I also miss getting my hair cut. And since I went much shorter with my hair in the fall, I had been stopping in to see my stylist about once every 3 weeks before all of this went down. I made the decision a few weeks ago to just go with it and started growing it out.

My hair is presently in that super awkward stage of having ducky feathers and sticking out in weird places, so I am super thankful for my stretchy, wide headbands right now. And baseball caps.

And the fact that I can't go out socially (because no one wants to witness this, lol). But hey- what better time to decide to grow it out than now?

Cookie Butter Pecan Bars {The Leftovers Club}

I will admit it. I am a full-on cookie butter addict. I spread it on granola bars, dip pretzels in it, and just eat it by the spoonful straight out of the jar. I knew it wouldn't be long before I was baking with it.

The inspiration for my Butter Pecan Cookie Butter Bars came to me when I was visiting the Wine and Glue blog and came across Lisa's recipe for Sugar Cookie Cookie Butter Bars. I am not going to lie- I REALLY wanted to make her cookie bar recipe, but I was feeling lazy and was short on butter for her recipe. So, I improvised! ;)

I had a box of Butter Pecan cake mix that had been sitting in my pantry for a few months now. Honestly, I had no clue why I even bought it. But it had been sitting there on my shelf for months staring at me, begging me to just do something with it. I figured cookie butter and butter pecan would go well together, so why not make some cookie bars combining the two flavors? (And finally get rid of that box of cake mix already! ;) )

And so I did and the results were ah-mazing! In fact when I was paired up with my April partner for The Leftovers Club, I knew I had to make a batch of these cookie bars again to send to Daphne of Go Gastronomy.

What you will need:

1 box of butter pecan cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional- I did not add pecans to either one of my batches of the cookie bars, but I plan to for my next batch.)

For the cookie butter layer:

1 stick of butter

1 cup of cookie butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 x 11.5 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Dump the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. In your microwave, melt the 1/2 cup butter in a microwave safe bowl. Pour the melted butter over the cake mix and add the egg. Mix well. Fold in the chopped pecans if you decided to add them.

Press the butter pecan dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until the cookie layer is lightly golden brown.

Let it cool completely (pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to speed up the process if you are impatient like me).

Once the cookie layer is cooled, whip up the cookie butter layer. Place the stick of butter in a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Nuke it for about 30 seconds. Add the cookie butter and microwave for another 30 seconds. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.

Spread the cookie butter mixture evenly over top of the cooled butter pecan cookie layer.

Pop in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until the cookie butter layer sets up.

I cut the cookie bars as needed, and left the entire pan wrapped tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature. You can refrigerate them if you would like, but be sure to let them come to room temperature before cutting or the cookie butter layer will break up.

I am not going to lie... I probably ate 80% of both of the batches of these Cookie Butter Pecan Bars that I made. They are addicting. And they were staring me in the face.

All day.

Every day.

Just sitting out on that kitchen counter beckoning me to cut off just one more tiny piece.

Note: All those tiny pieces add up to one huge hunk by the end of the day.... just saying. ;)

So I was more than happy to send a few bars Daphne's way for this month's The Leftovers Club swap.

Cookie Butter Pecan Bars

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients (12-16 bars)

For the cookie bar layer

1 box of butter pecan cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

For the cookie butter layer